When two of the twelve guests turned up to our specialist Sunday walking tour, 1000 tastes 1 city, with coffee from one of the chains, I had no option but to introduce the group to the thriving Birmingham Independent Coffee scene.
We departed from Victoria Square walking past Ginger’s Bar to our first stop outside Purnell’s in Cornwall Street. I shamelessly retold the stories that Glynn had so generously taken the time to share with our walking group the day before.
Having got them thinking about good food it was onto Urban Coffee Company in Church Street to ween them off chain store coffee. Long time Barista Simon, spoke in his soft Irish lilt to the assembled group. He spoke with great enthusiasm about each stage of the process in making the perfect cup of coffee. First choosing a single Estate bean, Columbian Tinana, grinding it to the correct size, carefully checking the temperature of the water, then carefully controlling the flow of the precisely measure volume of water through the coffee grounds. Simon then urged the group to slowly sip and taste, then to allow the coffee to cool a little before tasting again. His precise coaching, allowed the group to experience the subtleties of a first class coffee. Independent Coffee Shop twelve Chain Coffee shop Nil.
Having shared many more stories of the great brands and tastes that were born or found their way to Birmingham, and having left the group in Brindley place, I headed back to Urban Coffee Company for a cup of Columbian Tinana before heading back home.
Michael, Midlands Discovery Tours
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